by
Ada Gabucci

by
Alta Macadam

GUIDEBOOK

2010

PAPER

640 PAGES

The 10th edition of MacAdam's ultimate guide to Rome, with full color street maps, dozens of site plans, suggested walks and extensive commentary on the history and significance of every church, monument and district. (ITL230, $29.95)

by
Blue Guides

by
Tamara Thiessen

GUIDEBOOK

2012

PAPER

271 PAGES

This sleek, modern guide chronologically organizes places of interest, providing accessible histories of each site. Also features six walking tours, six maps and dozens of large full-page photographs. (ITA409, $19.95)

by
Robert Kahn

GUIDEBOOK

2011

HARD COVER

272 PAGES

A connoisseur's guide to the city and its attractions, with personal recommendations by artists, designers, architects and personalities who have made their home in Rome, including painter Frank Stella and architect Michael Graves. With detailed neighborhood maps. (ITL166, $19.95)

by
Grant Heiken

GUIDEBOOK

2007

PAPER

264 PAGES

With a timeline, chapters on each of the seven hills, Tiber Floodplain and overview of geology, this accessible guide, written by experts in geology, culture and history of Rome, shows the importance of the geological setting to the history of the city over the millennia. (ITA188, $27.95)

by
Elizabeth Helman Minchilli

FOOD

2015

PAPER

176 PAGES

A very helpful guide in navigating the scene of contemporary Roman cuisine. Blogger and food writer Elizabeth Minchilli shares where to find the best coffees, pastas, gelatos, pizzas and other authentic Italian fare alongside recipes for how to prepare some yourself. (ITA515, $24.99)

by
Giancarlo Caldesi
|
Katie Caldesi

FOOD

2015

HARD COVER

272 PAGES

COMING IN SEPTEMBER

This journey into the cuisine of the Eternal City presents recipes that have been handed down through generations as well as the Caldesis' fresh take on Roman recipes. A beautiful recipe book and keepsake. (ITA564, $39.95)

by
Beppe Severgnini

CULTURAL PORTRAIT

2007

PAPER

288 PAGES

BEST SELLER

Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia. (ITL718, $15.00)

by
Christopher Scarre

HISTORY

1995

PAPER

144 PAGES

A vivid overview of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and its expansion throughout North Africa and the Mediterranean, illustrated with ingenious color maps on many topics (political borders, trade, defense, religion) and 80 color photographs. (ITL29, $20.00)

by
Robert Hughes

HISTORY

2012

PAPER

512 PAGES

Opening with his arrival in Rome in 1958 as a wide-eyed young Australian, Hughes takes in the art, architecture, sculpture and life of Rome, past and present, in this splendidly written, sweeping tale of the beloved city, including memorable portraits of characters from Caesar to Cicero, Mussolini and Fellini. (ITA267, $18.95)

by
Eleanor Clark

CULTURAL PORTRAIT

2015

PAPER

416 PAGES

When Eleanor Clarke traveled to Rome in 1947, her intention was to write a novel. She returned instead with this inspired collection of travel essays, which, as the New Yorker put it, "gather up Rome and hold it before us, bristling and dense and dreamlike." (ITA530, $15.99)

by
Ross King

ART & ARCHITECTURE

2014

PAPER

384 PAGES

Presented with flair and backed by a wealth of research, King's captivating chronicle of Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel tells the story of its conception and creation. (ITL464, $18.00)

by
Andrew Graham-Dixon

ART & ARCHITECTURE

2016

PAPER

240 PAGES

COMING IN FEBRUARY

Taking readers behind the beauty of the world's most famous fresco, this articulate piece of art criticism is a full history of the masterwork and includes plenty of rich, full-color illustrations. (ITA553, $16.99)

by
Keith Miller
|
Mary Beard

ART & ARCHITECTURE

2012

PAPER

256 PAGES

Miller traces the evolution of St. Peter's from its original incarnation, built on the orders of Emperor Constantine, to its medieval rebirth and additions by Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno in this history, guide and celebration of the great baroque basilica. (ITL886, $14.95)

by
William Murray

TRAVEL NARRATIVE

2003

PAPER

144 PAGES

A personal portrait of Rome from William Murray, a writer for The New Yorker, who was raised in Italy. Murray recounts neighborhoods, buildings, archaeology and history in a personal, anecdotal ramble. (ITL506, $16.95)

by
Wallis Wilde-Menozzi

BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

2014

PAPER

384 PAGES

An ardent Midwesterner transplanted to Parma, Wallis Wilde-Menozzi returns to the Rome of her youth in this soulful meditation on the people, places, ruins, statues and allure of the Eternal City. She's particularly astute on art, but it is her ability to conjure the life of the city that sets the book apart. (ITA373, $16.00)

by
Michael Dibdin

by
Stendhal
|
Susan Ashe

LITERATURE

2014

PAPER

320 PAGES

A freshly translated collection of stories by the great French writer Stendhal. All set in Italy, the tales convey the author's passionate interest in the country and establish his place as one of the great French writers of the 20th century. (ITA527, $14.99)

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